Monday, August 27, 2007

Banned from Facebook permanently-----Facebook will not tolerate breastfeeding pictures

Hi Karen,After reviewing your situation, we have determined you violated ourTerms of Use. Please note, nudity, drug use, or other obscene contentis not allowed on the website. Additionally, we do not allow users to send threatening, obscene, and harassing messages. Unsolicited messages will also not be tolerated. We will not be able to reactivate your account for any reason. This decision is final. Thanks for understanding,AnthonyCustomer Support RepresentativeFacebookThans for understanding?????????????

37 comments:

Well, why don't you take them to court for discrimination? You'd get a LOT of publicity, probably with 7000 people also outraged it wouldn't be hard to raise some money for court costs (let's say half of them give you $50, that's $175,000). Setup a paypal account.

A few things might happens:

1. They get embarassed and reinstate your account2. You get max publicity for your cause3. You get a chance to legally clarify the position for thousands of other mums.

Only just read (a little) of your saga, but wanted to let you know of my support. I don't know the whole story, but it's enough for me to know that pictures of women breastfeeding are being banned on Facebook.BREASTS ARE FOR FEEDING BABIES, PEOPLE!

Do you Moo's ever stop? when you Shat out a loaf, you must loose most of your brains with it. Lactivist? Is this the new name for Bored Moo's with too much time on their hands? The Site is called Facebook! Not Titbook Boobbook or Hooter Book!It may shock you people, but not every one wants to see you flopping out your great triangular grey tit everywhere. Especially when they are trying to eat!You violated the terms of service that you agreed to when you opened an account. You Moo's probably were too brainless to actually read the TOS. You people have several disgusting habits. Tit flopping when no one wants to see it, Babystalking-worship thy sh*tsack or else and being an Entitle Moo-thinking everyone should let you do what you want.you *lactivists* need to get a job and a life. Breastfeeding is not going to make your kid smart. Its allready doomed by its Moo and DUH's genetics.

I don't understand the fuss, why do you have to post these photos to the world anyway? I don't want to see them, surely they you should keep these private bonding moments between you and your family rather than broadcast them to the world for some bizarre political resason...

It may be a "natural" thing to do, but frankly so is shitting, and I don't want to see photos of that either..

It really is a bous that such quality thinkers as "childfree123" & "tim" feel the need to join this kind of discussion. It creates so much more fuel for discussion...

Two things:

There is no violation of the terms of service. It is all in the interpretation of the terms of service that facebook employs. To use such a loosely defined term as "obscene", completely without qualification, obviously allows them a significant level of discretion. To use it in the way they are doing is, frankly, unacceptable. Alternatively, to assert that a picture of a breast feeding baby equals "exposed breast" is just another example of little boys who are taught to go all weak at the knees at the sight of uncovered titties getting confused when they see them in a non-sexualised context... Poor little men. Life's tough, after all.

Second, on the point of whether or not a picture of someone taking a crap is one you'd want to look at. Not sure it's a good analogy. Now, say there was a debate about whether or not it was better to do it in public with your pants up or down, and people were generally OK with seeing people crapping with their pants up but got a bit squeamish when confronted with that other, more private way... Well that just might be a similar issue.

Hey n.c. great comment! To think you slated my comment when yours was such bullocks!

Fact of the matter is not everyone wants to see breastfeeding in public, you may think we're wrong or prudish, but I have two kids and both were breastfed - in private and not on public display. My wife loved it, but didn't see the point in flashing in public.

We have many friends who also have children, some tried breastfeeding and didn't get on with it and resorted to bottles - what amazed me is that they felt they were poor mothers as a result - why? Because of the so called "Lactivists" who seem to think that formula is akin to poison.

The facts are that using formula does not cause problems - all formula fed babies I know are doing well. Not breastfeeding has nothing to do with how good a mother you are, being a good mother is loving your child and taking care of there wellbeing.

As for breast feeding in public, posting photos of your private bonding moment on the internet and calling for legal action against those who are only protecting people who don't want to see that sort of thing (like me), children and people from certain faiths who frown upon public exposure - well that's just plain stupid - as is your comment.

It seems I have just had my Facebook account suspended (with no email notification) simply for joining 'Hey, Facebook, breastfeeding is not obscene!'. I didn't even publish any photos of breastfeeding mothers!

Has anyone else had this happen to them since joining.

The message I get when trying to log in is 'Site is down for maintenance, please try again later'.

Unbelievable and cowardly censorship. What is it exactly they are afraid of?

I'm a user of Facebook too and personally couldn't care less what body parts or activities people choose to post or show pictures of in their profiles/albums.

At the same time I honestly dont get why you would want to post such photos in a public arena.

I'm also not a fan of women freely whipping out their breasts in public spaces to breasfeed. It may be a natural act but to me it's equivalent of a man whipping out his penis in a park or a cafe because he had an itch to scratch. That's natural too!

Either way it's inappropriate nudity and I believe that people who are subjected to such an unsightly act are the ones being violated.

It's a sad, sad world when stuffing your breasts full of silicone for men to perve on is acceptable, while using them for their ORIGINAL PURPOSE is considered abnormal or obscene. I support you whole-heartedly - GO CANADA!!

Ohh pulease. Why does breastfeeding cause such ire among people? If you don't like the photos, don't look at them. Breastfeeding is food to a baby - that is all - pure and simple. I don't know that I would post a breastfeeding photo on the web, but why can't a person have that choice if they want? As I said before, don't look at photos of boobs if they offend you.

There is the concern about sanitation. Breast milk is a bodily fluid and like other bodily fluids, it has the potential to spread serious diseases (AIDS, the West Nile virus, etc.) under the right conditions. While the risk of infection is probably very low, just the idea is enough to creep a lot of people out. The thought of eating at a table or sitting in a chair that may have been contaminated with someone else's bodily fluids just a few minutes ago isn't very appealing.

Hey tim, if my comment seems stupid, yours is just plain offensive. Likening breastmilk to shit? Have a think about that for a minute... No, really think about it.

Same goes to comparing breastfeeding to scratching an itchy penis.

So you've got friends who would rather not breastfeed, or have had trouble doing it? Fair enough. Can't see how that's relevant here though. If your issue is that seeing a baby feeding makes you squeamish then yes, I do think you should be challenged. Doing it "in private and not on puvlic display" - was that just while you were around? Did you make your children hide in a toilet cubicle or something while you were out? Were you worried that other men were copping a look at your action? What's your issue mate?

Breastmilk as a contaminant? Um... That's just too bizarre to even take seriously.

Although childfree123 is just attention seeking and trying to stir shit up here, I'm going to have to agree with tim on this one.

I'm all for breast feeding, I'm all for the benefits it offers over formula, I'm all for the bonding experience that a mother and baby share as a result of this natural activity. I'm also not in favour of facebook's censorship in this instance.

HOWEVER, my point is that you are taking this natural and otherwise acceptable practice and politicising it, when it simply doesn't NEED to be political.

Anyone who challenges your right to breastfeed your baby is an ass and can go to hell, but NONE of this means you have any need or valid point to make by posting pictures of it online. I mean honestly, can someone please tell me what you're trying to acheive here? I have to say I fail to see your point.

The shitting analogy might be a bit harsh, but I can see the angle Tim is coming from: why make such a fuss about it? It's just a natural function that you are legally entitled to perform in most countries.

Instead of spending your time organising this little political movement-without-a-point, why not spend that same time with your kids enjoying the most precious and rewarding years of their life?

Oh, and by the way, showing your children that you stand up for your rights with a bloodless battle and believe in yourself and your values, no matter how small or insignificant others may deem them, is the most important thing you can EVER do for your children.

why do you want to show pictures of yourself breastfeeding? I have no problem with breastfeeding in public, as I think to chase young mothers into public restrooms to feed their child is unjust, but i don't see why it needs deliberate exposure.

As a former breastfeeding mother to two wonderful children, I totally applaud any and all effort you take to end this discrimination. Women's breasts are not in any way shameful nor should we be forced to feel that they are, especially when we are using them for the purpose for which they were created. Breastfeeding is beautiful and I congratulate your efforts to educate the misogynists of this world.

Tim, what if I decide I don't want to see you (or anyone) coughing in public? Or you touching your children in any way in public?If my baby is hungry, I will feed her where it suits me and I honestly do not care if you don't want to see it -- your hang-ups/preferences/opinions are too far down my list of priorities to influence my decision.If your wife decided to feed her children in private, that is her call. I would not dream of imposing my preferences on her, and you shouldn't do so on me or anyone else.

What Facebook has done is appalling, and should be publicised far and wide. Breastfeeding is a political issue - not because breastfeeding women make it so, but because sick people who cannot separate nurture from sex try to force women to hide their feeding away as though it were something shameful.

You people who say you don't think you should "have" to see a woman breastfeeding in public - LOOK AWAY!! It is every woman's right to breastfeed her child when the child needs to be feed, whether she is in public or you approve or not. She is engaging in an act of nurture and caring - in other words, being exactly the kind of 'good mother' she is exhorted to be - and should not be vilified, discriminated against, or forced to hide away.

And for the record - no, I didn't breastfeed my own kids. I raised them on expressed milk and formula. Don't make the mistake of thinking those who support the right of a woman to breastfeed her children wherever necessary are "ignorant moos".

And don't make the mistake of thinking they'll go away and sit quietly in the restroom, either.

I would just like to say, for real. Facebook allows pictures of butts, of girls in strip clubs with an itty-bitty bikini or pasties (I've seen it). Really, I see no reason for non-sexualized nudity to be taboo. Shows what tight-arses our culture makes us, that certain people aren't smart enouogh to distinguish between non-sexualized nudity and sexualized nudity to the point where they treat them both the same.

And wow listen to all the woman-hate on this forum. Even the way they describe breastfeeding mother's breasts with relatively negative terms, there is obviously a lot of disdain for the female body. (probably except for playboy bunnies or something)

It saddens me how breastfeeding stirs up so much controversy. I'm so tired of people complaining about mothers whipping their boobs out with reckless abandon. I personally have never seen that. Most mothers do cover with a blanket and those who don't are very discreet. It is possible to discreetly nurse a baby without a blanket. You would have to be looking pretty closely to see any skin or God forbid, A NIPPLE! Why can't people respect a nursing mother and just look away? We don't want you looking at us while we are feeding anyway. Some may view it as obscene, sexual, or disgusting but the nursing mother views it just as feeding her baby. The only time that I ever saw a woman leave her breast completely exposed as she nursed was an Indian woman who was clothed head to toe as per her custom. If that doesn't say a lot about America's warped view of a woman's breast! I breastfed four kids until the age of one. With the first I always used a blanket so I wouldn't offend anyone. Even in 100 degree weather! My second baby wouldn't allow it. She liked to look at my face or play with my hair while she nursed. But according to some people I should have denied her of looking at me because some one's 12 year old might want a drink. I just don't get it. I never flashed my boobs while nursing. I was always very aware that someone was probably weirded out about me nursing in public. I shouldn't have had to worry about someone's hang-ups. I think posting photos on the web is a great idea. Hopefully it can help desensitize people. And for those who have issue with public breastfeeding had better not visit abroad because you are in for some serious culture shock.

You are one stupid, arrogant, dim-witted b*tch!!!!!!!!I would personally be revolted to see you plop out your sagging boobs in a restaurant. - and I am a physician (pediatric subspecialist) to boot!Get a life. Most folks just simply do not care about your problems.

Yeah Bruce didn't care so much he was compelled to come on over to say it!Well done on your stance Karen, please ignore the idiots. Anyone that finds breastfeeding obscene clearly has a lot of 'issues' none of which should bother you a jot.

Hahahah childfree123, you think you can catch AIDS from being near breastfeeding mothers? How old are you dude?

Judging from your poor description of a breast, I doubt you have ever seen one and so it surprises me that you are so against breastfeeding as it surely has never offended you in the way that you describe - otherwise I'm sure you would be able to accurately describe what a breast actually looks like.

Furthermore your grammar and spelling are atrocious considering you are accusing "moos" of being stupid. They "loose" half of their brain do they?

My advice is that you go back to school and try to pay attention, particularly in sexual education class and english. It would do you the world of good.

I dont usually post comments, but I just hadta do this. To the women who started this whole blog: You are an idiot. Breastfeeding is natural and isn't sexual in any way. That being said it is still NUDITY and OFFENSIVE. And to the IDIOT who mentioned setting up a paypal account to cover court cost: IDIOT. Nobody is gonna give this moron a dime, much less 50 bucks. Alright that all I have people, and don't bother bashing me...I will not be back to check.

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Welcome to the official BLISS blog! BLISS stands for Breastfeeding and Lactation Information and Support Sorce. We are a non-profit organization serving breastfeeding families in Edmonton. Please visit our website! www.bliss-breastfeeding.ca